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Tuesday,
March 16, 2010

9:30 am - 4:00 pm

1400 "J" Street

PURPOSE OF THE
WORKSHOP

This
interactive workshop featured small business owners talking
about their real world experiences
going green;

Local service providers talked about
their specific programs that can help reduce costs
and increase revenue;

Business advisors provided a
detailed description of the opportunities that small businesses have in
the growing California green economy;

The Small Business
Toolkit, an extensive resource that is FREE and
available 24/7 will help you reduce energy and fuel costs, buy green
products, save water, and recycle;

Attendees received a package of resources
and assistance that can help you reduce your bottom line and benefit
from numerous green economic development efforts.

WHO ATTENDED

All
business owners, managers, and staff who want to learn about improving
their bottom line by greening their businesses. Business to
business discussions will present ways to cut operational costs,
increase revenue, access funding, and assist you through the process.

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

This
interactive workshop featured a panel of small business
owners talking about their experiences saving money by reducing energy
and fuel costs, improving their businesses by “greening” their
products and services, and sharing their experiences of
becoming part of the expanding green economy.

The second panel included
business advisors discussing California’s green economy and provided
examples and suggestions of how businesses can take advantage of this
strong and growing sector of the economy. Businesses learned
how to shape
the healthy future of their business by using the programs, support,
and funds available to green businesses.

After lunch ARB staff presented a hands-on demonstration of
the Small Business Toolkit – a free,
easy to access, website available at CoolCalifornia.org
This is one of the most comprehensive resources available to
small businesses interested in
saving money by going green and/or guiding their existing or future
business into the green economy.

The final panel featured community-based assistance
programs that can provide a
wide variety of help to businesses. Many communities have Green
Business Certification Programs on-site and
web-based
assistance, videos and case studies/fact sheets that provide real
life experiences of businesses just like yours that have gone
green.

The day ended with an informal networking reception where small
businesses met with other business leaders, owners, service providers,
and representatives to talk about the benefits of the
growing green economy.